New Program Director and Head Coach to Lead Harrisburg University’s First Season in Collegiate Esports

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) has revealed the Program Director and Head Coach set to lead its varsity esports program, which will kick off its first season this Fall. The new HU esports leadership roster will feature long-time esports coach and Harrisburg native Chad Smeltz as program director and world-ranked gamer Jeff Wang as the team’s head coach.

“Chad and Jeff bring the highest level of talent, strategic vision and ambition to our esports program, and I am incredibly excited to see them lead our varsity team.” said HU President Eric Darr.

Smeltz began his gaming passion in Harrisburg, Pa. and now returns after years of leading esports teams across the country. He has worked with League of Legends teams Phoenix1 and Team8 in Los Angeles and currently teaches at the University of California Irvine.

“I am excited to not only witness collegiate esports at this level, but to be a program director and mentor to this new team as well,” said Smeltz. “This opportunity is especially important to me as I witness my hometown university blaze the trail into an internationally popular competitive sport.”

Wang is a world-ranked gamer and esports coach who has dedicated much of his life to honing his skills in games like League of Legends, Overwatch, Hearthstone and more. He attended the University of Minnesota, where he helped form the college’s official esports program and has continued to coach gamers and teams over the past five years.

“It’s really exciting for me to get to know a new team, learn their strengths and weaknesses and develop them from the start,” said Wang. “I’m looking forward to creating the structure of HU’s esports program and build a nationally recognized competitive team.”

The esports gaming community has been paying particularly close attention to what Harrisburg University has been up to, especially now with the addition of Wang and Smeltz.

“In a great move to bring the best to its program, HU has hired Chad Smeltz and Jeff Wang, who have both proven their dedication and passion for the esports world,” said Michael Brooks, Executive Director of the National Associate for Collegiate Esports (NACE).

Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Harrisburg University is a private non-profit university offering bachelor and graduate degree programs in science, technology, and math fields. For more information on the University’s affordable demand-driven undergraduate and graduate programs, call 717.901.5146 or email, Connect@HarrisburgU.edu.